也不知道為什麼?只是突然有一天就迷上作皂....“一些些冒險犯難的精神+期待皂化過程的小焦慮”就這樣一發不可收拾....
持續、緩慢、製皂中...沒作品時,整理整理過去或現在出走的紀錄,當成自己的回憶錄;或者把看過、挺有感覺的書分享分享心得...還沒設置留言版,如果有話想跟Jess說的,任何一篇文章下面回應,Jess都看得到哦~


2010/12/07

小王子 Le Petit Prince‧Chap4



我獲知的第二個重要的事實就是:小王子來自一個比一間房子大不了多少的星球。


我並沒有因此感到驚訝。我很清楚,除了那些人們已經取名的大行星:如地球、木星、火星、金星之外,還有其他數百個行星,有的甚至小到用望遠鏡都看不到。天文學家發現一顆星球時,不會為它取名,而是用一個號碼來當作它的名字。比方說,他可能叫它「325號行星」。

我有充份的理由相信小王子是來自已知的B-612號行星。這個行星只有一個土耳其天文學家在1909年見過一次。


當時那個土耳其天文學家,還針對他的發現,寫了一篇很長的報告給國際天文學會,可是因為他穿著土耳其的服裝,所以沒有人相信他說的話。


大人們總是這樣...

幸好因為B-612號行星這件事,讓土耳其的統治者制定了一條法令,他強迫土耳其人民改變穿著,要像歐洲人一樣,否則就會被判刑。所以當那個土耳其天文學家在1920年重新提出他的報告時,這次所有的人都認同他了,因為他穿著體面優雅。


我這麼詳細的說明B-612號行星,還告訴你們它的編號,其實也是在用大人的方式表達。因為當你告訴大人們,你認識一個新朋友時,他們從來不問重點。他們不會問:「他的聲音聽起來怎麼樣?他喜歡什麼遊戲?他收集蝴蝶嗎?」

相反的,他們會問:「他幾歲了?他有幾個兄弟?他體重多少?他父親收入多少?」好像他們只能從這些數字來瞭解你的朋友似的。

假如你跟大人們說:「我看見一幢用紅磚蓋的漂亮房子,窗裡有天竺葵,屋頂有鴿子...」他們根本沒辦法透過這些描述想像出這房子。你應該跟他們說:「我看到一間價值2萬塊的房子。」然後他們才會叫著說:「喔,多美的房子呀!」

同樣的,如果你跟他們說:「這個小王子笑起來很可愛,他想要一隻綿羊。如果有一個人想要一隻綿羊,那就是他。」他們只會聳聳肩,覺得你孩子氣!不過如果你這樣跟他們說:「他從B-612號星球來」,這樣就會說服他們,不再詰問你。

他們就是這樣,不用太針對他們,小孩對大人總要有寬宏的氣量。

當然可以肯定的是,對我們來說數字是冷漠的!

我本來想要讓這個故事的開始像現代版的童話故事。我想這樣說:「從前從前,有一個需要一隻綿羊的小王子,他住在一個比他自己大不了多少的行星...」,這樣的敘述會顯得比較真實。

但我不要人家草草地看我的書,這是我用沉痛寫下的回憶,我的朋友帶著他的綿羊離開已經六年了。我現在試著描述他,是因為我不想忘記他;忘記朋友是讓人傷心的,並不是所有人都有朋友。如果我忘了他,就會像那些除了數字以外什麼都不感興趣的大人一樣。

因為這樣,我買了一盒顏料和幾隻鉛筆。

要在我這個年紀,重新開始作畫不是件容易的事,更何況我從六歲畫過一隻大蟒蛇、跟一隻看得到大蟒蛇肚子裡面的畫之後,就沒畫過畫了!但我會盡可能畫得逼真,雖然我也不確定我能不能做到。

這一張應該還好,另一張比較不像。

我在高度上出了點差錯,這裡的小王子太大了,那裡的可能太小,我對他衣服的顏色也有點猶豫。於是我盡可能的修飾,希望至少能差強人意;我很可能搞錯一些重要的細節,但這不能怪我,我的朋友從來不給我任何解釋,也許他覺得我跟他一樣,但其實我也不知道從箱子外面怎麼看得到裡面的綿羊。也許我已經老了,變得像大人們了。


I had thus learned a second fact of great importance: this was that the planet the little prince came from was scarcely any larger than a house!
But that did not really surprise me much. I knew very well that in addition to the great planets--such as the Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Venus--to which we have given names, there are also hundreds of others, some of which are so small that one has a hard time seeing them through the telescope. When an astronomer discovers one of these he does not give it a name, but only a number. He might call it, for example, "Asteroid 325".
I have serious reason to believe that the planet from which the little prince came is the asteroid known as B-612. This asteroid has only once been seen through the telescope. That was by a Turkish astronomer, in 1909.
On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration. But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobody would believe what he said.
Grown-ups are like that . . .
Fortunately, however, for the reputation of Asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator made a law that his subjects, under pain of death, should change to European costume. So in 1920 the astronomer gave his demonstration all over again, dressed with impressive style and elegance. And this time everybody accepted his report.
If I have told you these details about the asteroid, and made a note of its number for you, it is on account of the grown-ups and their ways. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.
If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof," they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: "I saw a house that cost $20,000." Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house that is!"
Just so, you might say to them: "The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is a proof that he exists." And what good would it do to tell them that? They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child. But if you said to them: "The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612," then they would be convinced, and leave you in peace from their questions.
They are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.
But certainly, for us who understand life, figures are a matter of indifference.
I should have liked to begin this story in the fashion of the fairy-tales. I should have like to say: "Once upon a time there was a little prince who lived on a planet that was scarcely any bigger than himself, and who had need of a sheep . . ."
To those who understand life, that would have given a much greater air of truth to my story.
For I do not want any one to read my book carelessly. I have suffered too much grief in setting down these memories. Six years have already passed since my friend went away from me, with his sheep. If I try to describe him here, it is to make sure that I shall not forget him. To forget a friend is sad. Not every one has had a friend. And if I forget him, I may become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures . . .
It is for that purpose, again, that I have bought a box of paints and some pencils. It is hard to take up drawing again at my age, when I have never made any pictures except those of the boa constrictor from the outside and the boa constrictor from the inside, since I was six. I shall certainly try to make my portraits as true to life as possible. But I am not at all sure of success. One drawing goes along all right, and another has no resemblance to its subject. I make some errors, too, in the little prince's height: in one place he is too tall and in another too short. And I feel some doubts about the color of his costume. So I fumble along as best I can, now good, now bad, and I hope generally fair-to-middling.
In certain more important details I shall make mistakes, also. But that is something that will not be my fault. My friend never explained anything to me. He thought, perhaps, that I was like himself. But I, alas, do not know how to see sheep through the walls of boxes. Perhaps I am a little like the grown-ups. I have had to grow old.

註:《小王子》是法國童話,法文原書名為Le Petit Prince,作者是聖艾修伯里,1943年在紐約出版,被譯成超過 180種語言,銷售量超過8千萬冊,還有拍成電影和動畫片、改編成話劇和音樂劇演出。
圖片出處:http://www.odaha.com

沒有留言:

張貼留言

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails